The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-03-05

ers seem 10 lhlhh " "'hue''u' "'ss
meni,
For my own Tar', lam not great ad'
mirer of England, and would not like 10
see English ideas dominate America. But
am not 81 foolish as 10 reject a good
thing because II happens TO come from
England Bya fortunate combination OF
coOullons, England ha. Seen able {" give
free trade thorough Trial, NJ VIZ have
not aud the results are before the S"'u
Side by side with sighly protectes France,
she bss made an experiment covering al
period Of forty years; years Of war MS well
peace. Under free trade de 'plte The
Immense foreign emigration 10 all parts al
her colonies AS well as 10 this country, she
has grown and prospered, and prospered 50
much that our protectionists are very )eai
Gus Of her, and are trying TO persuade
Americans that We are 81 much better on
here because of our tariff, that We ought to
perpe,uate the system which ground the
English iaborer down 10 the dust. We are
foolish II We learn nothing from their ex
perlence; II We take up and use her out
grown folly,
The tree trader claims that there Is no
permanent prosperity for nation under
false system, and that what Is good Tor one
nation Is generally good for all The same
conditions cannot exist In all nations, but
the same principles apply everywhere
But how about that terrible Golden
Club, that club that floods America with
" British gold" and documentary terra
turey Also for the truth OF history! l
have 20 confess that In all my life have
never seen single paper of the Golden
Club except Ia American reprint and never
have known of any attempt to circulate
their book. The Golden Club Is made up
largely Of men, who, like the American
free traders, have no special money Inter
est a, stake, and who work for the estab
hshment of right ideas. Like tie early
aboli,ionisrs, OF like the temperance work
ers generally, they had TO encounter the
opposition of the moneyed Interests for
long and weary years. Whatever money
they spend is contributed as men today
contribute TO the cause of temperance. The
mos, they ever raised In one year was $3O,.
600, and this was spent almost entirely at
home, when their great battle was fighting
in Pertinent Since free trade triumphed
In England they have hardly kept up their
organization. There seems TO be some one
In Ottawa who knows their secret motto"
but how their secrets got into his possess
ion Is not stated. have heard of great
protected monopoly In America spending
more on one congressional lobby, then the
Golden Club ever raised.
Another false assumption Is that free
trade may be good for an old country, but
istai for new one. This, If true, is sad
" out of date for America. We claim al.
ready TO be so far In advance OF Other ma
tons that we look down with contempt on
their tagging and forlorn condition. We
do not plead any baby acts for the con
duct of our own affairs
Another assumption made by Mr. Blaine
and echoed by his followers and admirers
is that the theory of free trade attracts young
men, especially In college; but that the
exper fence of life soon takes this college
nuisance out of them. Then they repent
and see the error of their ways and become
protectionists,
Mr.. Blaine's experience is probably based
upon Northern Colleges, in which the vast
majority of students are republicans, and
upon his personal acquaintance in Pennsyl.
vania and Maine, which Is strongly pro-
tectionist in theory. When college gradu-
ates go into business or politics, they are
likely to dnd that they must keep silent ON
many things which they steadfastly be-
lieve, or else be unpopular. One OF the
great republican organs of this state SOL
EMMY announced last year that free
trader had no right 10 remain in the repu6lt-
can party. With this feeling, most men In
that party aspiring to any party standing,
keep their convictions to themselves, or
argue on the other side. heard q promi-
nent politician of our state, within six
weeks, say; "All the arguments and all
nv convictions are on the side Of free
trade; but all my business and my party
associations are on the other side" There
are thousands who feel like this. l re-
member we'll when In college, under q pro-
tectonist teacher, and with class largely
made up OF protectionlsts, that 1t was real
vexation to us to find that there was not
text book extant In which the free trade
argument was not overwhelmingly strong.
One of the Michigan Congressman In his
last canvass said: ~ advocate tariff on
lumber because own timber land" II Is
very seldom that one finds an ardent pro-
tectionist who Is not q politician or who Is
not engaged In some highly protected
manufacture: glass, salt, iron or the like.
Probably II we're engaged In business
which had an average protection OF W per